As the three adventurers passed into the hollow, they encountered a great cliff face, buried deep underground, descending deep into the belly of the earth. They walked to the edge of it, and looked into the seemingly endless pit. Despite their current depth, there was a great shaft of natural light penetrating from the ceiling and illuminating part of their journey. But after a few hundred feet or so, even that faded to pitch black.
The bandit, his fear of heights returning, declared to his fellow adventurers “Well, now what?”
The barbarian responded, “What do you think? We climb down.”
“No my friends,” the magus interrupted “the challenge is not the climb.” He turned his most observant gaze to his surroundings. About 50 feet in the distance, the magus' eyes found what they were looking for. “Look over there,” he said pointing towards another statuette. They all went to inspect this new effigy of Maleficus smaller than the first. On the cubic base of it was a plaque with the words inscribed “Qui volunt pacem operae memor primo proelio.”
Curious, the barbarian looked at his companions and inquired “What does that mean?”
The magus explained, “It means 'Those who wish for peace, must first remember the pains of battle.'” Quickly after the utterance of the last syllable, they all heard a great disturbance behind them. The barbarian spun around as he drew his sword; the magus grasped onto his staff and in a similarly offensive manner; and the bandit jumped behind the base of the statue to use it for cover while drawing his dagger. They all watched as the very dirt seemed to assemble itself into a great mound. Slowly, this mound took the shape of a sizable man that out stripped the barbarian in both musculature and stature. As the last bit of dirt fit into place, the mock eyes glowed with a violent hue of red, and they trained themselves upon the barbarian.
The newly-formed creature opened its mouth and exhaled a dusty “RAAAAR!”
The barbarian tightened his grip on his sword and shouted with a cheerful resolve “Now THIS is my kind of company!” With that, he swung his rapier at the monster's arm while he charged it. Before he could complete the arc of his motion, the creature slammed him to the side with his other arm. The barbarian tried to repel the second arm, but it crumbled under the pressure exerted by his muscular grip, and he was flung about ten feet away. The barbarian had spent most of his adult life ad the biggest person in the room, so although he was somewhat physically winded, his mental composure was more taken aback than anything else.
The creature turned his inflamed eyes to the magus, but before he could raise his arm again the magus declared “Solvas!” With that, the creature crumbled into its bits of dirt once again. The magus ran to check on the barbarian. “Are you hurt, my friend?”
“Just my pride a bit,” answered the barbarian as he groaned to his feet. “It's all right miss; you can come out now,” he taunted to the bandit still entrenched behind the statue.
Startled a little by the sudden attention the bandit retorted “I'm glad that you two could take care of that thing all by yourself. Had I needed to get involved, things would have been a lot less kind for that thing,” he transparently postured while kicking the seemingly inanimate mound of former monster.
The magus, who was still examining the barbarian for wounds, did not bother turning around as he simply answered “Right.”
The barbarian was adjusting his body armor, that had been disheveled from the creature's attack, while the magus visually inspected both it and him for any heretofore unseen damage. While he worked, he was able to muster “What ever would we have done without you?” The barbarian's sarcasm escaped the notice of the bandit who was still busy posturing. So much so, that the bandit was paying no attention as the granules of dirt quietly re-stacked themselves behind him into the, previously- assumed, vanquished foe.
